Wall construction



P 1944- r E. BALDUF 2,357,722

WALL CONS TRUCTION Filed Oct. 20, 1941 Patented Sept. 5, 1944 WALLCONSTRUCTION Bruno E. Balduf, Chicago, 111., assignor to United StatesGypsum Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationOctober 20, 1941, Serial No. 415,720

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a wall construction and a method for insuringsolidity thereof.

As a means of insuring rapid and yet fully satisfactory walls in themany emergency buildings being erected at the present time and in whichwallboard sections are first secured to studding and thereafter sidingmembers are secured to the wallboard sections, the hereinafter method ofconstructing a wall of such elements isproposed.

The invention finds its most desirable'present application in wallscomprising the usual studding to which are afiixed wallboard sections ofthe usual size. It is a matter of some inconvenience to have to be surethat such sections shall always have their vertical abutting edges lyingover one of the vertical studs. Attempts have-been made to insure thatsuch care need not be taken and yet a desirable solidity of wall besecured by providing the wallboard members with tongue and grooveinterengaging portions along the edges which extend horizontally whensuch sections are erected. It is wholly impracticable, from a boardmanufacturing standpoint, also to form tongue and groove engagingportions on the vertically abuttable edges of the board. These latteredges, therefore, are usually movable with respect to each otherand thewall construction is not entirely satisfactory,

especially when some further material is applied to the wallboardfoundation.

Again, the fairly light material, such as stucco, which has formerlybeen applied over the wallboard is not being used to great extent at thepresent time, particularl in emergency constructions, it now being founddesirable to secure a fairly heavy siding material, such for instance asasbestos, to the wallboard foundation. Such material is usually nailedinto place and great difliculty has resulted when the nails have beenapplied topass through the underlying board sections near a verticallyextending abutting edge. The nailing tends to cause the abutting edgesto move relative to each .other with consequent danger that the tongueand groove horizontal engage ment may be disturbed andwith all theconcurrentdifliculties which arise when heavy siding members are appliedto such a relatively nonsolid foundation.

Another difiiculty met in the construction of the aforedescribed wallresides in this: The board sections are, in many instances, formed ofplaster covered with paper. Accordingly, when nails are driven throughsuch plaster. or paper board, they do not fit tightly into the board andaccordingly the whole structure is weakened. Of course, when the nail isdriven near the line along which two edges of the material abut, thepossibility that the nail will take a loose fit in the board is greatlyaggravated because the-tendency for the founda-- methods hereinafterclaimed and embodying the each other.

construction set forth in others of the claims.

Fig. 2 is an elevational sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary partially sectioned perspective view of one ofthe elements hereinafter described.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view looking towards the rear of thewall of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged. view of a portion of the sectioned structureshown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational sectional view illustrating thefacility with which sidin replacements may be made in a wall constructedin accordance with the present invention. 7

In Fig. 1 the usual vertically extending 2 x 4 studding of a wallconstruction is shown at lfl-I 0. Wallboards II, l2, l3, l4, 15, I6, l1,l8 and I9 are secured to the 2 x 4s to form a wall, it being noted thatsaid boardsare provided with tongues and grooves which are nested asbest seen in Fig. 2 so that there is little or no relative movementbetween the horizontally abutting edges of these boards.

The vertical edges of boards lie and l2a, l2b and I3b, Ila and lac, and[8b and I9!) abut over the underlying supporting studs I!) so that notonly do nails driven therethrough fit tightly but also there is at thesepoints no opportunity for abutting vertical edges to move relative toHowever, it is a matter of distinct disadvantage to have to plansufficiently carefully in theconstruction of walls as here described,and particularly when they are embodied in emergency construction whichit is necessary now to do, so that abutting vertical board edges alwayscoincide with the underlying support. Many times such edges will abut asdo edges I la and l5a, and l5b and lib, i. e., these edges abutnoncoincidentally with an underlying support.

As above suggested, it is now frequently required that relatively heavysiding be secured to the wall foundation formed by the erection of thewallboard sections on studdings as Just described. Such siding membershave been illustrated at 20. The manner of securing such siding membersto the underlying wallboard foundation may be better understood byconsidering Fig. 2 in connection with Fig. 1, it being noted that themembers of the lowermost siding course of the wall are first appliedwith the lower edges thereof spaced from the foundation by a spacerstrip 20a. Thereafter, the members of the progressively overlyingcourses are applied thereover in such manner that the siding somewhatresembles wooden clapboard or elongated shingles. The siding is normallysecured to the boards by driving nails therethrough as shown at 2!, Asbest shown in Fig. 2, these nails do not pass through the underlyingupper portions of the members of each course of siding, but only throughthe bottom portion of the overlying siding members and thence into thefoundation member either directly or through a vertical cushioning pieceunderlying the line of abutment of the vertical edges of the siding.Moreover, these nails are deliberately positioned to act as accuratespacing means, the nail holes in the lower portions of the sidin membersbeing so arranged that when the nails pass therethroughand into theunderlying foundation these nails will abut tightly against the upperedge of the members of the immediately underlying course, thereby actingas spacers for the progressively applied siding courses.

However, when such siding securing nails are driven into a foundationcomprising plaster wallboards, there is a tendency-for the plaster tocrumble somewhat and the nail therefore to have less than the desiredtight fit. This inherent shortcoming is greatly accentuated when'the Inails are used to secure relatively heavy members such as the heredescribed sidings 20 to a plaster board foundation, and even moreparticularly when these nails are driven into plaster board in thevicinity of an unsupported vertical abutment of edges such as llaand "a.Under the latter circumstances there is an unavoidable tendency of suchabutting vertical edges to move relative to each other, therebyaggravating the crumbling of the plaster and accentuating the loosenessof the manner in which the nail is associated with the plaster board.

From a recitation of the above dliiiculties in erecting a wall fromelements which are most immediately now available and which arerecognlzed by the usual builder, it will be seen that a method oferecting-these elements into a wall construction with maximum solid-ityis greatly to be desired. Again, sidings such as 20 may become brokenafter the wall has been fully completed. One of the objects of thisinvention is so to facilitate replacement of broken elements as toinsure maintenance of the desired or initial solidity of the wallstructure, and oneor more of the construction steps and of thecombination of-elements hereinafter described contributes to this end.

The first step in promoting desired solidity, and the only one wh ch maybe necessary when the boards have horizontal tongue and grooveengagement and no unduly heavy material is to be nailed to the boardfoundation, is to prevent relative movement between the vertical abuttinand otherwise freely movable board edges. Such movement is prevented inthe invention as here described and claimed by associating a movementpreventative element with the abutting vertical edges of adjacentboards. One desired form of such element is indicated at 22 and is bestunderstood as to detail 'from an inspection of Fig. 3. The membercomprises a base 23 which is adapted to lie between the verticalabutting edges of the plaster boards l4 and I5. One or more opposedpairs of arms such as 24-24, 25-25 project substantially perpendicularlyfrom said base, thereby to provide equitant portions positionable overthe opposed abutting edges of the boards. These arms are suilicientlylong to prevent the aforesaid relative movement. In the particulardevice device described, four opposed pairs of arms are utilized. Whensuch a member is placed as indicated, a desirable solidity ofboard'foiindation is promoted.

While the aforesaid provision for preventing relative movement betweenthe abutting edges of the boards may in turn prevent the loose naildifficulty which has been described, it has also been found desirable inmany casesas an added means for insuring solidity of wall constructiontoutilize a nail tightening means peculiarly combinable with theheretofore described elements to eventuate the desired results whichhave elsewhere been herein described. To this end the formed in theupper surface thereof, it being 011- nails which are used are providedwith corrugations formed either spirally or circularly as shown at 28 sothat the end 21 (Fig. 5) which protrudes through the back of the plasterboard is provided with such corrugations or engageable means. It shouldbe understood that these nails may be rendered engageable with thehereafter described fastening or tightening device by coating them (thenails) with substances such as cement and like materials which promotethe gripabil ity thereof. i

There is further provided a wedge-like member "which has a hole 29 andcommunicating slot it served that the wedge 28 is, in the embodimentshown herein, one-half of a frusto-conical member which has been splitvertically. When the hole 29 is passed over the protruding end of thenail and the wedge then pushed along the surface upon which the edges28' of the member rest, the wedging action ensuing therefrom will sotighten the nail that looseness which may have been present by reason ofthe hereinbefore suggested factors is eliminated and the entirestructure is rendered desirably solid. The wedge can be made of sheetmetal wherefrom desired resiliency thereof is secured. Such resiliencycomblned with the particular shape of the wedge adds considerably to theeffectiveness thereof as a nail tightening means. The edges of the wedgeare particularly capable of digging into foundation boards as heredescribed, i. e., into the fiber or paper covered surface of such boardsor into the keeping the fastener in verticalposition during thisoperation. In some instances it may be preferred to employ pliers forthis purpose. A portion of the gripping jaws of a pair of pliers isshown (in dotted lines) as contacting the nail end and the large end ofthe fastener in Fig. 5,

it being understood that the bringing together of the plier jawsoperates to draw the fastener into place, thereby to solidify the sidingin its relation with the rest of the wall. The wedge shape of thefastener during this operation draws the nail through the sheathing andpermanently locks the siding tightl to the wall. Such operation with apair of pliers moveover insures that the side edges will dig into theunderlying foundation to insure a desired tightness of the nail andconsequent solidity of the wall.

In addition to those advantages heretofore recited, it has been found asa fact that the use of fasteners of this character have sharply reducedthe breakage which has heretofore seemed inevitable when siding of thischaracter has been applied to a wallboard foundation. It has in manyinstances been seemingly impossible to drive the fastening nail entirelyhome without causing the aforesaid breakage. So marked has been thispossibility that some builders have preferred to leave the nail headsabout a, or of an inch away from the surface of the siding, therebyeliminating the chance that the driving of the nail head against thesheathing will fracture the latter. While this procedure preventsbreakage, it obviously does not promote a tight fit of the siding to the.wall and may permit dirt or other foreign material to gather under theportion of the bolt. The hole which was made in the underlying sheathingand/or foundation when the originally positioned piece of siding wasnailed in place is then enlarged if necessary to accommodate the togglehead; after such enlargement, the toggle head and the bolt arepositioned in parallel relation, whereafter the toggle head and bolt arepushed through the hole in the foundation whereupon the head is turnedinto position parallel to the rear surface of thefoundation. The bolt isthen rotated to tighten it in relation tothe wings of the. toggle tosecure the desired tight fitting of the replaced siding to the end thatthe general solidity of the wall construction is maintained.

, are properly supportable by the drawing or specinail head. When,however, the siding is ap-,

plied in connection with the here described-nail tightening operation,the aforesaid breakage can be largely prevented by not driving the nailentirely home and thereafter tightening said nail.

in place by 'use of the wedge fastener at the back of the board.

Again when one or more pieces of siding become broken after the wallshall have been completed, it is possible-with the construction hereoutlined-so to replace thebroken pieces that "through the hole in thefoundation which has been made by the first driven nail. The tighteningwedge is then placed over the protruding end of the nail and the latterpulled tight. By proper member adapted to engage said device and to bemanipulation, broken siding members may thus be replaced and the wallmade fully as solid as before.

However, in some instances it may be desired to take advantage of atoggle bolt which has heretofore been available butwhose use as hereinIn replacing a broken outlined has never been suggested because thehereinbefore described wall construction has not of itself beenavailable. siding and fastening the same in position with thereferred-to toggle bolt, the procedure illustrated in Fig. 6 isfollowed. In the latter figure the toggle bolt and the about-to-bepositioned new piece of siding are shown in dotted lines to illustratethe initial steps which are followed, and the bolt and new piece ofsiding after being firmly secured in tight position are shown in fulllines. As will be understood from these figures, the bolt portion 29 isfirst inserted through the already existing nail hole in the about-to-besubstituted piece of siding, and thereafter the toggle head portion 30is secured to the inner end or threaded fication or claims originallymade'herein), shall measure, the scope of the invention herein setforth, Accordingly and with the foregoing in mind, what is claimed asnew and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for insuring 'a tight fit of a nail-like fastening devicecompriiing engageable portions on the protruding part of said nail anda. wedgelike member adapted to engage said engageable means and to be.progressed along the surface through which the nail protrudesprogressively to draw said nail into tightened relation, the engageableportions on'said nail being disposed to function with said wedgeirrespective of amount of protrusion, said wedge being provided with anopeninghaving a portion of sufficient size to pass over the protrudingend of the nail and a slot-like part narrower than the diameter of saidhole to catch under the engageable portions of the nail a: the wedge isprogressed thereby to lift the nail and tighten the same, the membercomprising an integrally formed somewhat resilient substantiallyhemi-frusto-conical member with the aforesaid opening in the upperportion thereof, the hole which is initially placed over the protrudingnail being nearthe end of least diameter.

2. Means for insuring a tight fit of a nail-like fastening devicecomprising an engageable portruding part of said device and a wedge-likeprogressed along the surface through which the device protrudesprogressively to draw said nail into tightened relation, the engageableportion of said device being fashioned to function with said wedgeirrespective. of the extent of protrusion, said wedge being providedwith an opening having a portion of sufficient size to pass over theprotruding end of the device and a slot-like part narrower than thediameter of said hole to catch the engageable portions of the device asthe extending and interengasing tongue and groove portions, two 0! saidmembers abutting in a substantially vertical line not coincident with anunderlying support, relatively heavy siding members, secured to saidwaiiboard foundation, fastening means providing said last-mentionedsecuring, and wedge means coacting with said fastening means forpromoting solidity of said construction, said wedge means comprising anintegrally formed somewhat resilient substantially hemi-frusto-conicalmember with an opening in the upper portion of the hemi-trusto-conicalmember having an entrance portion near the end of smaller diameter ofsumcient size to pass over a protruding end of the fastening means and aslot-like portion with its edges spaced a distance less than the widthof the entrance portion extending from the entrance portion towards theend of greater diameter, the edges of the slot-like portion beingconstructed to engage and coact with the protrudingportion of thefastening means as the wedge means is moved to 1 bring the end ofgreater diameter towards the solidly? to the wallboard.

4. Wedge means for insuring a tight fit of a nail-'like fastening deviceinserted to hold two bodies together and with an engageabie portion ofthe fastening device protruding from the joined bodies, said meanscomprising an integrally formed somewhat resilient substantiallyhemi-frusto-conical member with an opening in the upper portion having aportion near the end of least diameter of the hemi-frusto-conical memberof sufficient size to pass over the protruding portion or the fasteningdevice, and a slot-like portion with its edges spaced a distance lessthan the width of said first portion and constructed to engage and coactwith the protruding portion of said fastening device to tighten thefastening device as the larger end of the wedge member is moved towardsthe fastening device.

BRUNO E. BALDUF.

